The UF/IFAS St. Lucie County Extension, in conjunction with the Manatee Observation and Education Center, will host a presentation titled “City Bat Stroll” on Tuesday, October 29, 2019 from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM. During this event UF/IFAS St. Lucie County Extension Agent Ken Gioeli will go over the basics of bat biology and how to use bat detectors on nighttime searches for bats.
Have you ever wondered what kind of bats live in Florida? Meet at the Manatee Observation and Education Center for an informative bat chat. Learn about this fascinating, beautiful, misunderstood mammal that is an essential part of a healthy ecosystem. Gioeli will bring bat detectors to show participants how to detect bat echolocation at night during a stroll along in the Indian River Lagoon in downtown Fort Pierce. Live bats will not be showcased during the presentation but are likely to be detected during the stroll through downtown.
Gioeli serves on the faculty of the University of Florida/IFAS as the Natural Resources Extension Agent for St. Lucie County. He provides natural resource-related educational programs for Extension volunteers such as Master Gardeners and Florida Master Naturalists as well as general homeowners, community organizations, school and governmental agencies. Gioeli earned his University of Florida Masters in agricultural education and communications and a graduate certificate in environmental education. He conducted research on vampire bats through the Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS) – a collaboration between UF, Duke University and the Universidad de Costa Rica.
The City Bat Stroll will take place at the Manatee Observation and Education Center, 480 N. Indian River Drive, Fort Pierce 34950. Cost to attend is $20 Manatee Center volunteers and members/$25 Non-members. Seating is limited and registration is required. To register call 772-466-1600 ext. 3337. Although this is an adult--oriented program, children over the age of 8 are welcomed to attend.
